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I'll try to remember to do so. It's probably going to be a couple month project due to the holiday's and being between houses right now (sold our old one before our new one was finished).
I'm using my 52MM BBK TB that is on the car now as well as the 24# injectors (stock for the car) that were rebuilt 10 or so years ago when I put the zz4 in. I was thinking of getting new injectors so am open to feedback. I just know that stock is 24# at a fairly low fuel pressure for 85 cars. TPIS says to run 47PSI which seems high for the 85 injectors. I know that is more on par with the 86+ injectors which were rated at 42#'s (if memory is correct).
I'm using the stock ECU as I want to maintain all my dash functions. Car was tuned by TPIS with my edelbrock base, ported SLP runner and ported plenum. On the phone they said it would need a re-tune. I'm hoping not but if it does I would be open to suggestions their as I wasn't exactly thrilled with the old TPIS tune as the car always ran pretty rich.
It will need the retune for the totally different power band compared to what was before. The injectors should be fine, but this is a conversation to have with the chip tuner.
Your stock gearing of 3.07 is OK, but the MR will prefer something like a 3.54 or 3.73. But, you can get away with the higher stall TC to get a similar effect. 85 already has a good 2000rpm TC, so don't just throw it away.
With my 89, in 2003 I had an Accel DFI Gen 7 system installed and all the stock dash functions worked fine. In 2016, Lingenfelter installed my Holley HP EFIband still all the stock dash functions worked. Earlier this year, JCG Restoration and Custom removed the stock ECM and the stock dash panel and components and installed my custom dash panels with Speedhut analog gauges including a GPS speedometer. This winter all the wiring will be removed and replaced.
When Accel and the Holley were originally installed, the stock ECM stayed in-service and the Accel/Holley systems only controlled the ignition/TPI system. The Holley system is very tuneable. A matter of fact, my tuner is a Holley Advanced Tuner, and he can remotely live tune my ECM over the internet.
I had my TPIS miniram since 2015 and it has been a great system.
Interesting. It sounds like you were running both systems in parallel with just the engine management being run by those other systems. May be something to consider down the road. This is just a DD car that I was looking to simplify things (tired of chasing vacuum leaks) and make it perform better on the highway, as I'll be spending more time in that environment once my new house is ready. I don't track the car and don't street race so I'm not sure if that will be worth while for me. I would by lying though if I didn't say needing to get a new chip burned for this set-up was a bit discouraging. I don't see many options to have that done and my tune from TPIS on the old set-up left quite a bit to be desired so spending another $400+ for that is going to be hard to do.
I may try it with the old tune and see how it does. Just would be nice to not smell like gas every time I drive the car, that's how rich it was running.
Looks like the braided lines are pre made. When I did mine they came extra long and I cut to fit. It will run on the old tune but you do need a tune to take advantage of the mini. One other thing. I had to tune the governor in the 700r4 to shift at 6k rpm. Really need to do that unless you shift manually.
Try looking into Tuned Port Injection to burn you a chip. They are in Reno NV and I think they run about $100. He has a huge library of various CalMaps for burning a chip from stock to race. I've heard other people have been happy with his work. I have never used them. When I was campaigning a 90 1LE Camaro back in the 90s, I use to use Lingenfelter chips.
I suggest strongly to get a dyno tune. No mail order is going to get you the best a/f ratio for your set up. The hardest thing to find is a shop that has the hardware to connect with the C4 stock ECM's, but MOATS still sales the items they would need.
Going to a MiniRam, I would consider changing your rear ratio to a higher numeric ratio. I had a modified, "Big Mouth Manifold, Large Tube Runner TPI, and ran a 3.75 and 3.54. For street, the 3.07 would do great. But if want to get a little more performance move to higher numeric rear ratio since the MiniRam can still make power above 6K rpm's. For those that have been on here a long time and been in the Long Tube or Mini Ram debate know I have always been in favor of the modified Long Tube. But I have finally decided to try the MiniRam myself. Just installed last month and awaiting the dyno tune. Main reason I made the change is I wanted to see if it would make a difference on big National size courses and since I got my C6Z and seeing the benefit of having a broader higher rpm power band encouraged me to try it and see. Good luck with your build
Made some progress this weekend. I'm kind of slow with progress but posting a picture as requested earlier in the thread. I broke a couple clips getting the injectors out so had to order some of them so I'm at a bit of a stopping point for now.
PSA - Even with the rails removed, after a couple hours, apparently my tank started to siphon out gas. Bad news for me, I already had the car lifted and my play toy parked under it (have to for space reasons). Came back out and my drip tray was full of gas and actually started to overflow. Guess I got lucky as I was able to clean the gas off the hood of the car under it (no damage thankfully) and vented out the garage. Was lucky the fumes weren't bad enough yet to ignite too. I had plugged the fuel lines and wrapped with a glove which didn't work. I wound up getting an adapter and tying the two lines together using the new fuel lines until I get to complete this. Embarrassing story but figured I'd share to prevent this from happening to someone else.
I should add. Fit was pretty good. I had to grind off about a 1/4 inch of material at the rear where my oil pressure gauges go into the top of the block. Easy to do but was kind of surprised the intake didn't account for that already.
OMG - so I see my repeat after 20 years ! Not as great but OK ??? greg
Wasn't it your car that caught on fire? If so, I'm pretty sure I have your old headers. Friend of mine bought them off a car from the forums that caught fire back in (I think) 2001ish. I put them on mine car about a year later when he went to sell his (we swapped exhaust).
Follwing this with interest as I have an 89 6 speed and a complete miniram to install. What are those spark plug wire holders? Look useful when it comes to keeping the leads off the headers!
They are moroso spark plug wire separators. I bought them a decade ago but I'd assume Summit or Jegs would still sell them. And yes, they work great with keeping things off the headers and nice and tidy.
So, got a new waterpump in today (figured since I've dug in this far, might as well) and after removing the AC I noticed my bracket was cracked. Gotta chase down someone to weld it up for me. I think it's aluminum (no it's not steal) so all my contacts are a no go.
For the miniram, since this set-up doesn't go to the TB for cooling I need to do the TB bypass mod. Does anyone know if using a 90 degree fitting on the base will allow you to route a hose through the AC bracket to go from the heater core to the intake? Thinking of trying that, or open to other suggestions on hose routing as the current idea (running from HC to front of intake with straight fitting) is going to have a hose looking way out of place.
I've always loved the C4's and I still have my old Convert. I have a C4 Convert which is a great Vette, but there's just something about the Ride in a C4.
What was the solution to your Fuel Issue, I didn't see that post ??
I also installed a ZZ4 fast burn, 385 HP crate engine. I had a new Doug Nash, so i replaced the original. And I rebuilt the Diffy with all new innards .
FUEL,,,, I'm having an opposite problem, I have an intermittent start now about 90 % of the time. I've already replaced the Oil Pressure fuel bypass relay and it's real which worked for a while. I haven't had time to test the ECM signal that turns on this relay. Now she back to not starting until the oil pressure is up, very frustrating. I'm about ready to install a push button switch under the dash to engage this relay and call it a Thief deterrent !!
You've completed a lot of great work on yours, good luck with all the little Gremlins.
I've always loved the C4's and I still have my old Convert. I have a C4 Convert which is a great Vette, but there's just something about the Ride in a C4.
What was the solution to your Fuel Issue, I didn't see that post ??
I also installed a ZZ4 fast burn, 385 HP crate engine. I had a new Doug Nash, so i replaced the original. And I rebuilt the Diffy with all new innards .
FUEL,,,, I'm having an opposite problem, I have an intermittent start now about 90 % of the time. I've already replaced the Oil Pressure fuel bypass relay and it's real which worked for a while. I haven't had time to test the ECM signal that turns on this relay. Now she back to not starting until the oil pressure is up, very frustrating. I'm about ready to install a push button switch under the dash to engage this relay and call it a Thief deterrent !!
You've completed a lot of great work on yours, good luck with all the little Gremlins.
You mention something important about the oil pressure. Our cars wont start until they see a set PSI (or higher) of oil pressure. It's possible that may be part of your issue as well.
As far as the fuel. I took one of the supplied fuel line hoses and connected it to both ends of the fuel line to complete a loop. This is temp until I can get the car back together. here is a picture showing that as well as the mess I have right now. I made the decision (likely dumb one) that if I was digging into the car this far I might as well fix all those other things that have been bugging me for the last 10 years. One being the AC evaporator that I had rigged up. Had to strip the whole passenger side of the car to get that thing out :-( Also put a new water pump on and AC compressor. Along with the alternator and rack and pinion I'm hoping my car will finally be able to be a DD quality again soon assuming I can get it back together....
Feel kind of silly at this point as I've probably spent more on this car in the last 3 months then what it's worth but I've owned the car for 20 years so it was hard to consider selling it for another on.
11-29-2018, 01:33 PM
